Lady Bethany would rather die a spinster than submit to marriage-and thus reveal the horrible secret she has harbored for more than a year. Lord Locke is far too immersed in his service to the Crown for romance, but Lady Bethany is in dire circumstances. Indebted to Bethany's late father and his close friend, the earl offers a perfect solution for both of them: a marriage in name only. Perfect, if only they weren't so irresistibly drawn to each other-and if Bethany hadn't found herself falling in love with a man even more mysterious than his reputation. Perfect, until she unwittingly learns he's protecting her from a threat to her life. To Mark, Bethany is just another assignment, a woman he's convinced is hiding something. His offer of marriage was meant only to make it easier to safeguard her. But when the simple threat turns to attempted murder and treason, Mark realizes that Bethany has stolen his heart and he can do nothing less than throw himself into a race against time to save her, whatever the price.
